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 25 Portaging a Placid Rapidfire . . . ? (Read 11888 times)
boonie
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Portaging a Placid Rapidfire . . . ?
Jan 28th, 2018 at 3:46am
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How do you portage the RapidFire? Carry on one shoulder? Use the fabric yoke? (How do you like it?)
Use a regular clamp-on yoke?
  
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Magicpaddler
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Re: Portaging a Placid Rapidfire . . . ?
Reply #1 - Jan 28th, 2018 at 1:08pm
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I built a press fit yoke.  I used car top pads to make a yoke that can be forced between the gunnels.  I saw another one that was solid and relied on being able to spread the gunnels enough to get it installed.
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boonie
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Re: Portaging a Placid Rapidfire . . . ?
Reply #2 - Jan 28th, 2018 at 2:55pm
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Did you do this because you can't use the regular adjustable clamp-on yoke on a RapidFire for some reason?

I don't think I'd want to carry one any distance on even a good portage by carrying it on one shoulder, although I understand that's common in the ADK's.

Their fabric yoke seems like it would be somewhat of a PIA to put on/take off at portages  . . . ?
  
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Magicpaddler
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Re: Portaging a Placid Rapidfire . . . ?
Reply #3 - Jan 28th, 2018 at 4:32pm
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I did not like the idea of their fabric yoke for the same reason you didn’t.  I did not know of any manufactured yoke that would clamp to those gunnels.  Some of the yoke pad combinations that were suggested to me were about 20% the weight of the canoe. 
My first yoke broke just as I was starting the south Cache Lake portage so I had to use the pads that came with the canoe.  By the time I finished the North Cache Lake portage both sholders and both hips were black and blue.
  
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Solus
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Re: Portaging a Placid Rapidfire . . . ?
Reply #4 - Jan 28th, 2018 at 4:43pm
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Nice work on the yoke. A difficult balance to get it both light and stiff enough to stay in place. Ingenious.
  
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solotripper
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Re: Portaging a Placid Rapidfire . . . ?
Reply #5 - Jan 28th, 2018 at 4:44pm
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Just MacGyvering here, but why not try making your own yoke using some Schedule 40 pvc pipe?

Maybe some 1" to 1 1/2 " pipe with a thin notch get the same in both ends. A little trial and error would get the right wedge length.

You could clamp your yoke pads to that pipe.

Similar idea, except this guy, used a round aluminum pipe he flattened on each end and bolted in, NO portage pads, pipe rides on pack. With a light canoe that might be okay? If you went with aluminum pipe, you don't bolt in or wedge, you get some Clevis pins for a quick mount/detach option.

Few bucks and a little tinkering you'd have something special.

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Magicpaddler
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Re: Portaging a Placid Rapidfire . . . ?
Reply #6 - Jan 28th, 2018 at 4:56pm
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The gunnels on a Rapidfire are a little more flexible than you would suspect.  With a hand on both gunnels I can push them apart ½ inch maybe a little more.   
Some place I saw a video of someone installing a yoke on a Placid boat that relied completely on the give of the gunnels. Cant find it now.
  
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Outlander
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Re: Portaging a Placid Rapidfire . . . ?
Reply #7 - Jan 28th, 2018 at 5:16pm
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Talk about perfect timing ....

I was on the Placid web site this morning checking out an order form so I could call them tomorrow and purchase a Rapidfire.

The portaging aspect never occurred to me. I just automatically assumed light weight equals no problems.

I am going to hold off on a purchase decision until I get more info about portaging the Rapidfire.
  
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Magicpaddler
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Re: Portaging a Placid Rapidfire . . . ?
Reply #8 - Jan 28th, 2018 at 5:50pm
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The Rapidfire is a easy boat to portage once you get a portage yoke that will fit.
  
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boonie
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Re: Portaging a Placid Rapidfire . . . ?
Reply #9 - Jan 29th, 2018 at 12:24am
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Thanks
  
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